Dysthymia, when melancholy takes over your mind.

Dysthymia is similar to depression, but is characterized by long periods of sadness.

The Dysthymic Disorder (dysthymia) is a mild variant of depression. Dysthymia is usually placed at one end of the depression spectrum. At the other, more severe end, we could place the more acute depressive disorders.

What is Dysthymia?

The word comes from the Greek, "altered mood". Those affected by dysthymia often continue with their routine for years without receiving any treatment or assistance. They can be recognized by signs of despondency, but there is nothing in their behavior or attitudes that, a priori, can make us notice that this person really has a psychological disorder. Dysthymia is an affective disorder, and the efficacy rate of treatment is very high.

Affected persons

Dysthymia affects almost 2% of the population, being slightly less frequent than major depression (which affects about 4% of people) and, like other emotional disorders, there is usually a higher rate of dysthymia among women.

An episode of sadness or occasional gloominess should not be confused with dysthymic disorder. Everyone is susceptible to feeling sad at some stage of life, and this does not suggest any anomaly. For the period of melancholy to be considered dysthymia, it must be present every day for at least 2 years.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms in affected patients are the following melancholy and sadness. Generally, they consider it almost impossible to find happiness and satisfaction in their daily routine. They also have low self-confidence and are unable to make decisions.

Tiredness and low activity are also often signs of dysthymia. Sleep and eating patterns are often disturbed. In terms of rest, dysthymia sufferers may suffer from insomnia or sleep more hours than recommended. In relation to nutrition, they sometimes have episodes of excessive eating, or a noticeable lack of hunger.

Concentration and memory are affected. It is usual that the affected ones begin to isolate themselves socially little by little, problem that in the long run can entail social incapacity, and up to social phobia.

On the other hand, unlike what happens in some cases of major depression and bipolar disorder, in dysthymia no symptoms appear, in dysthymia there are no psychotic-type symptoms such as hallucinations or such as hallucinations or delusions.

Causes

There is some controversy about the causes of dysthymic disorder. Some research points to a prevalence of hereditary factorHowever, new studies suggest that the causes are environmental: social isolation, occasional life setbacks and prolonged stressful situations.

The unique peculiarity of dysthymic disorder is that more than 75% of those affected suffer from some other chronic problem, such as a physical ailmentsuch as a physical ailment, drug addiction, or other psychiatric disorder. Medical personnel often find it difficult to establish which problem precedes which, as the onset times are often scattered.

Treatment and therapy

The various treatments require intensive work with the affected person in order to detect the underlying causes. The two treatment modalities that have proven most effective are cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychotherapy.

In addition, pharmaceutical support can significantly help patients affected by dysthymia.

In any case, talking with the patient about his or her concerns usually helps a lot, and tends to dispel negative feelings and thoughts such as guilt or feelings of worthlessness. Psychological treatment also aims to enable the person to manage his or her emotions..

In addition to individual therapy, group therapy helps to regenerate the affected person's lost self-esteem and improve social skills.

What is the difference between Dysthymia and Depression?

The dysthymia sufferer usually has a fairly routine and normal life despite his or her disorder. In contrast, the depressed patient is not able to maintain that routine. Therefore, the fundamental difference is the degree of incapacity that the subject presents.

• In dysthymic disorder, there is no lack of interest. They may experience pleasure, too.
• There is no agitation, no motor slowness.
• Outbursts or recurrent thoughts about suicide or death are unusual.
• An accurate diagnosis should be made by a psychologist or psychiatrist specializing in this type of disorder. If you think that you or someone close to you may be suffering from dysthymia, we recommend that you seek professional treatment, as dysthymic conditions often develop into depression if they are not treated appropriately.

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association (2014). DSM-5. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Madrid: Panamericana.
• Angold A, Costello EJ. (1993). Depressive co-morbidity in children and adolescents. Empirical, theoretical, and methodological issues. Am J Psychiatry.
• Blanco C.; Alegria, A.A.; Liu, S.M.; Secades-Villa, R.; Sugaya, L.; Davies, C.; Nunes, E.V. (2012). Differences among major depressive disorder with and without co-occurring substance use disorders and substance-induced depressive disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 73(6): pp. 865 - 873.
• Escriba R, Maestre C, Amores P, Pastor A, Miralles E, Escobar F. (2005). Prevalencia de depresión en adolescentes. Actas Esp Psiquiatr.
• Harrington R. (2005). Affective disorders. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 4th ed. Oxford: Blackwel Publising.
• World Health Organization. (2007). Depression. Geneva: World Health Organization.